A three star homestay on Ralph Bunche Road in Upper Hill, built for people whose Nairobi days are about meetings rather than sightseeing. It is a practical base only if you accept the trade: a quiet, car-dependent quarter with hotel bars and little else after dark.
01What it is
Acacia Gardens Homestay lists the things a working stay needs: a 24 hour front desk and 24 hour check-in, free car parking, a business centre and a meeting room, free internet in the lounge, and a restaurant and bar. Rooms come with a bathroom, shower, TV, hairdryer and toiletries, and there is a terrace, luggage storage, laundry and dry cleaning, a safe, a concierge and a shuttle service. Pets are allowed, there is a smoking area, and credit cards are accepted. Breakfast is listed, and bottled water is free. Where the list is thin is in leisure: no pool, no gym, no spa, nothing for a long holiday afternoon.
What that adds up to is a quiet, functional base for someone in Nairobi to work. Acacia Gardens Homestay sits in Upper Hill, and the street feel there is new concrete on a ridge, built for the car and the conference room. After dark it is safe and dull: hotel bars, and a ride anywhere else. It suits business travellers, conference attendees and anyone who wants parking and a desk more than atmosphere. It does not suit people who want to step out of a lobby into a lively quarter, or anyone hoping to walk to dinner.
02The supplier's photographs
0325 facilities the supplier lists
Facilities are the supplier's list, not a check made on the ground.
04Standing in Upper Hill and Community
Upper Hill and Community sits on the western ridge, not the CBD proper but the ridge immediately above it, and the place most of the CBD's office space has been moving to since the 2000s: the tallest towers in the country, the big hospitals, the aid agencies, and an expressway ramp to the airport. The street feel is new concrete on a ridge, built for the car and the conference room. The quarter lies 1.9 km from Kenyatta Avenue at Moi Avenue, which is 24 minutes on foot in a direct line.
It is best for meetings, a quiet night close in, and a fast run to the airport. After dark it is safe and dull: hotel bars, and a ride anywhere else. That suits people here to work and people who want their evening contained. It does not suit anyone expecting street life outside the door. The streets are built for the car and the conference room, so plan to move by vehicle once the working day ends.
Read the whole of Upper Hill and Community05Booking it
If you want a practical Upper Hill base for work rather than a holiday address, this is the kind of place to book direct. Most rooms here can be cancelled free, and you book them through app.impt.io. Every confirmed booking removes one tonne of CO2, at no extra cost to you. Five percent of what you pay comes back as IMPT credit, out of the hotel commission rather than added to your bill.
Facts on this page come from the booking supplier's record: star class, address, photographs and facility list. Guest scores come from verified stays. Nobody from this site has stayed here; the quarter copy around it is this site's own.
06Questions
Where exactly is Acacia Gardens Homestay?+
It is on Ralph Bunche Road Off Ngong Road, in Upper Hill and Community. That puts it 0.49 km from the centre of Upper Hill and Community and 2.31 km from Kenyatta Avenue at Moi Avenue, which is 29 minutes on foot in a direct line. The quarter is built for cars and conference rooms, so plan on rides rather than walks for most trips.
What facilities does the property list?+
A 24 hour front desk, 24 hour check-in, free car parking, a business centre, a meeting room, free internet in the lounge, a restaurant and bar, breakfast, laundry, dry cleaning, luggage storage, a safe, a concierge, a shuttle service and a terrace. Rooms have a bathroom, shower, TV, hairdryer and toiletries. Pets are allowed and credit cards are accepted.
Is Upper Hill a good area for a leisure stay?+
It depends on what you want. Upper Hill is safe and dull after dark: hotel bars, and a ride anywhere else. Days are about offices and conference rooms, and the streets empty in the late afternoon. If you want restaurants and nightlife within walking distance, this is not the right quarter for you.
How do I check availability for Acacia Gardens Homestay?+
Use app.impt.io. Availability, room types and free cancellation are shown there, and you book through it. Breakfast is listed, parking is free, and the front desk runs 24 hours, so late arrivals can be handled. No prices are shown on this site; the booking page has the current details.
